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Sunday, September 16, 2012

To Create Outside The Box.......

First ..Thank you for your positive and heart warming words for my kitties.............

This week I have some serious "BUDGET FLUFFING " to do . When the budget is tough, the creative juices really get a workout!
Over the years, when I restore a cottage most of the money is spent on the plumbing ,AC/heat, electrical , paint , insulation and usually a roof. When it comes to the "fun part"...the money is limited so many of the cottages are created "outside the box"......Using materials in unusual ways and buying things that are absolute bargains. Once I bought 12 twin bed skirts because the fabric was bright and they were practically giving them away.

I have some serious work ..design on 3 cents...so I looked thru my old images for some ideas.
Cottage design is more casual but most of the ideas can be expanded upon and used in many situations. Tybee is funky and fun.. No serious designs needed here.
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taking a bed skirt that you bought on markdown.. cutting it into a no sew valance

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using an odd shutter for a valance and taking a full sized double bead and making two by screwing the headboard and foot board to the wall

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creating a sitting area from a old desk and odd stools

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faking a headboard

a curtain rod from a bamboo rod and deer antlers

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adding an odd light fixture on a blank wall....just for interest

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making a curtain rods out of tree branch

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adding fun color..paint is cheaper than most things

(Richard Leo Johnson photography)

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adding some ball fringe to anything

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making closet "doors" from a fun shower curtain

making a lamp from something

mixixng and not matching the lamps and shades to created something interesting

making pillow and slipcovers from seriouly discounted sets of sheets

creating a light fixture from white party light

close up

creating a kitchen cabinet from old shutters

I will be seriously digging into my bag of tricks and my storage unit.

Greetings from Charleston, Jane! Loving all the new ideas I am seeing on this post! Also a big congrats on your features in the Cottage Book, that is fantastic!I am so loving the rick rack curtain (that is a shower curtain??!) and the old Coke sign with the old 40s style fan. I am so glad your missing kitty showed up too! What a scare to have her gone! I bet she is so glad to be back amongst her friends and getting treats and love! Well we cant wait to get back to Tybee!!--we visited this summer and fell in love with it! Loved all the cottages (we saw many of yours!), and the pier and the swings on the beach! It had such a small town beach town feel, a great family place.